Pep Guardiola has been given yet another issue to fix at Manchester City, with one of his players said to be angling for a January move after becoming unsettled.
The reigning Premier League champions in the midst of a crisis, having won just once in their last 13 games in all competitions. They were held to a draw by Everton in their most recent fixture, with no end in sight to their current slump.
After the final whistle, Guardiola said he would 'try' and make signings in January with the aim of turning the tide. It seems City will also face a battle to keep their existing squad together, with at least one player said to be unhappy.
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James McAtee has grown tired of life on the fringes at the Etihad Stadium and wants to leave the club, according to The Telegraph. He has played just two minutes of Premier League football this season, with his only starts coming in the Carabao Cup.
The likes of Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Brentford and Crystal Palace are thought to be keeping a close eye on McAtee's situation, with a bidding war likely to take shape if he is put up for sale.
Other clubs in Europe are said to be weighing up moves of their own, with Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Fiorentina and Bologna believed to be interested.
McAtee is reportedly 'desperate' for more playing time and would favour a move elsewhere in January. He remains tied down until 2026 and is said to be rated highly by Guardiola, but his lack of first-team action would suggest otherwise.
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Earlier this year, the Spaniard suggested that McAtee and his team-mate Oscar Bobb were ready to step up and be part of the senior squad. Neither player has started a game in the Premier League this season, with Bobb yet to play a single minute.
"They have the standards that we have," said Guardiola. "I know them, especially McAtee, from a long time ago. We saw Oscar last season. They have the confidence from their mates. They adore them. The can rely on them.
"Oscar made a fantastic game in the States. Macca’s first two games in the US were not good, but every game he is better and today was closer to the McAtee he can be.
"He knows all the processes. I think his period in Sheffield helped him a lot to give him value to how difficult football is, to win points. It helped him a lot.
"When you play in the small spaces, attack the goal, McAtee has this quality in small spaces. That’s why I said to Txiki [Begiristain] that I don’t want to loan him out because we need him."
